


Supernatural

by AtropaAzraelle (Polyoxyethylene)



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe, Angst, Incubus Gladio, M/M, Supernatural Elements, Wet Dream, daemon sex, horror elements that don't stay horror, stupid sexy sleep paralysis daemons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-08
Updated: 2019-08-18
Packaged: 2020-06-24 16:05:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 14,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19727035
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Polyoxyethylene/pseuds/AtropaAzraelle
Summary: Ignis awakes, his limbs unmoving, a pressure on his chest robbing him of his breath.He isn't alone in the dark.





	1. One

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to Nix for the prompt. Hope you all enjoy this brief foray into weird supernatural smut. I'm not sorry.

Ignis woke with a start. His limbs were frozen in place, heavy and useless, and the breath was squeezed out of his lungs by an irresistible pressure on his chest. He forced himself to look, to see in the pitch dark of the room, willing his body to move, his lungs to expand.

He wasn't alone. Vivid amber eyes lit like fire hung in the dark, observing him. Ignis felt a shiver of fear and something else course through his blood as the shadows resolved slowly into a face. There was a wide mouth with thick, kissable lips, a strong jaw dusted with long stubble, and thick brows framed by dark hair that hung down over Ignis as the figure smiled at him.

“You called me.” Those lips parted around the words, and the low rumble of the voice seemed to reverberate through Ignis's whole body, coursing along his spine. The pressure on his chest lifted, and he breathed gratefully. The air was scented with musk and campfires and a hint of cedar.

“Who are you?” Ignis asked, filling his lungs in panted breaths. The scent was intoxicating.

The shadowed figure moved, and Ignis's skin became electrified with pleasure and heat. Something hot and hard and tempting dragged along the inside of his thigh as the body undulated. “Whoever you want me to be,” came the answer.

Ignis became inescapably aware of his aching cock, and the hot flesh that was dragging over it. “What do you want from me?” He could feel arousal clouding his senses, losing his rational mind to the pressure and heat of the body that was pinning him to the bed.

The figure bent low enough that Ignis could feel the coarse bristles of its jaw brushing his cheek, and heated breath gusting against his ear. “For you to relax,” the voice purred. Ignis shivered; the voice alone was enough to drive a spike of lust through his groin and push him to the edge. “Do you want me?”

The figure rocked again, and Ignis felt every slow inch of a thick, hard, hot cock dragging over his abdomen. He could imagine how it would feel to have it inside him, filling him. His whole body sparked with anticipation and desire, his nerves alive with pleasure. Ignis tried to lift his hand, to lift his legs and wrap them around the exquisite figure that lay atop him, but they wouldn't budge. “I can't move,” he said. The thrill of fear lingered on the edge of his arousal.

Lips pressed against Ignis's cheek, drawing up until they brushed tantalisingly close to the corner of his mouth. The heated amber eyes seemed to glow in the darkness and looked into the depths of Ignis's soul. “You have to accept me first,” came the answer. “Do you want me?”

Shivers of heady exhiliration raced up and down Ignis's spine. He felt fingers stroke tenderly against his cheek before a hot palm cupped his jaw. Those eyes bored into him, and Ignis's breath escaped him once more as the creature's cock drew slowly over his stomach.

“Yes.”

The pressure on his limbs vanished as if it had never existed. Ignis folded his legs around the creature's waist and sank his hands into the tangle of dark hair framing its beautiful face. It gave a blissful sigh, and Ignis felt the head of its thick cock press against his ass. His body relaxed of its own accord, and as the creature began to slide inside him Ignis's whole being became awash with delighted relief inside and out.

“Give me a name?” the creature asked, as the length of its cock slid inside Ignis, deep and satisfying, filling him completely. He wanted nothing more than this moment for the rest of his life, to be as completely possessed and desired as he felt with this creature inside him, taking him.

Ignis looked into those amber eyes, feeling them subsume him as wholly as the creature's cock. Its hair was soft under his fingers, its skin super-heated against his own. Its cock drew in and out of him at the steady, lazy pace of lovemaking, expertly keeping Ignis on the brink of an orgasm that filled his whole body. A name came to mind. Ignis didn't know where it had come from, but he knew, as surely as he knew this was a daemon and not a man, that it belonged to the creature.

“Gladio.”

The incubus came inside him. Ignis felt the hot waves of pleasure pouring into his gut and limbs, pooling inside him. He seemed to ride the cresting wave, and then Ignis fell, his whole body shivering with an orgasm that fired along every nerve of his body. Muscular arms curled around his back, cradling him close as Ignis's breath tore from him. It lasted an age, wave after wave of cresting orgasm flowing over them both, and then the creature slipped free, taking care to settle Ignis gently back onto the bed, a dangerous and delighted smile on its face.

“Don't go.” The words left Ignis in a whisper. His whole body felt weak and sated. Sleep was desperate to claim him again.

“I have to,” the incubus answered, its thumb stroking Ignis's cheek tenderly.

“How can I see you again?” Ignis pleaded, fighting to stay awake.

The creature smiled at him and leaned in so close that Ignis could smell fire in its breath. “Just call my name.” Soft lips pressed to Ignis's own, gentle but insistent, and Ignis closed his eyes and surrendered.

Dawn was pouring through the windows when Ignis awoke. The only evidence of his dream was his bedsheets rumpled by his feet, and the sticky white remains of an orgasm splashed across his stomach. Ignis sat up; the dream still seemed so vivid in his memory, but the scent of cedar and campfires was gone. Every passing second brought him closer to the realities of his day and further from a rather nice, if embarrassing dream. With a sigh he stood off the bed to go and shower, and then stopped, and turned.

In the vase of narcissi on his sill stood a lone gladiolus, its golden petals just beginning to bud.


	2. Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignis calls Gladio again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes an idea just runs away with me

Ignis kept the gladiolus.

The wilting narcissi were replaced with more gladioli blossoming in vibrant shades of purple and orange. The encounter with the daemon had faded like a dream. Only snatches of sensation and the piercing glow of amber eyes in the darkness remained to return to him in the night; the presence of a hand to his cheek, hot breath against his ear, and the dizzying fullness of the creature's cock inside him.

The gladiolus it had left behind remained, resolutely alive and refusing to bloom. It was the only evidence Ignis hadn't merely been dreaming.

He stroked his cock as he tried to recall the encounter. His hand was poor substitute for the creature's touch; pleasant as it was, it didn't fill him with shivering lust. His cock was firm and warm in his hand, but he remembered more heat, more pleasure with every touch. The details felt further away each time he tried to recapture them. Ignis clung to the dim memory of lips at the corner of his mouth, and the creature's voice as it urged, “Just call my name.”

_Gladio_.

The name burst to the tip of his tongue in a rush of recollection. Details swept in to recolour his fading memory. Ignis's breath caught as he felt the pressure on his chest, the brush of stubble over his jaw, and smelled musk and campfires and cedar.

The scent filled his lungs as he breathed. Ignis opened his eyes, and was caught in a fire-lit amber gaze.

“You kept me waiting.”

A large, callused, hot hand wrapped itself around Ignis's cock, fingers brushing along his own as they were displaced. Gladio was a silhouette in the darkness, vague enough to be an illusion, but his heat and weight were real. Ignis was pinned to the bed, unable to move away and unwilling to try. The daemon gave a satisfied groan as it stroked its hand up the full length of Ignis's cock, spreading that supernatural pleasure he longed for through Ignis's whole body, seeping into him like ink swirling through water.

His back arched as the daemon stroked. Every inch of Ignis's skin yearned to be in contact with Gladio's form. He wanted to feel that heat over him and inside him again.

“Were you having fun thinking about me?” Gladio asked, bending low. Ignis could feel breath on his lips. Gladio bent lower still, until his cheek pressed against Ignis's and he whispered lowly into Ignis's ear. “You looked good making yourself come over me, but I'd been hoping for an invite earlier.”

Ignis's skin pricked pleasantly, his hair standing on end at the implication. “You've been watching me?” His limbs felt leaden and the air viscous. He pushed against it and settled his hand in Gladio's hair, feeling the soft strands parting like silk under his fingers. His other hand circled around Gladio's wrist, following the muscular line of his arm up to a solid, real, meaty shoulder. Gladio gave his cock another steady stroke that sent a wash of heated pleasure racing through Ignis's body.

“Of course.”

Lips planted against Ignis's throat. His skin seared with a kiss that stole the breath from his lungs. Another kiss settled over his heart. Ignis wondered if Gladio could feel his racing pulse with his lips. Every deft stroke of Gladio's broad hand dragged Ignis deeper into bliss. His heart was trying to beat its way out of his chest.

A long hot tongue stroked the centre line of his abdomen and trailed down towards his groin. Ignis watched Gladio draw lower, keeping those beautiful, fiery eyes fixed on him. He gasped when Gladio opened his mouth, lips parting wide, maintaining eye contact as he descended on Ignis's cock and engulfed him in soft, delicious heat.

Ignis's fingers tightened in Gladio's hair. His tongue stretched along the length of Ignis's cock, devouring him. Hot palms pressed insistently against the insides of Ignis's thigh, spreading him open, and then lifted his legs to settle them on Gladio's shoulders. Ignis curled both of his hands in Gladio's hair. He felt half delirious as Gladio swallowed him down to the hilt, his hands sliding under the back of his hips, drawing him closer and into his mouth like Ignis weighed nothing.

“Gladio.” The name passed his lips like a prayer. Gladio rumbled approvingly. The vibrations shivered through the whole of Ignis's cock, driving pleasure deep inside him, filling him. He was on the precipice of orgasm, his whole body tense with it. Gladio worked him with his lips and tongue, swallowing Ignis into his throat and growling contentment. The wet sound of his sucking filled the room.

“More,” Ignis pleaded. His fingers tightened in Gladio's hair. It was like being pushed slowly over the brink; every breath and beat happened in slow motion. Ecstasy built in his gut and swept through his body by degrees. Every nerve was alight.

Ignis arched hard as he came, driving his cock deep into Gladio's mouth. He spilled himself down Gladio's throat, and the daemon swallowed. Ignis trembled all over as waves of orgasm rushed through him, his whole being coming undone. Gladio continued to suck until it was over, and Ignis was spent and limp.

Gladio placed him gently back onto the bed, Ignis's cock slipping free of his mouth. He tucked Ignis's legs down onto the bed with care, his hand caressing Ignis's thigh as he settled him. Sleep dragged at Ignis, but he fought it. Ignis reached down until the clipped bristles of Gladio's beard scratched at his fingertips, and urged the daemon upwards.

Gladio was smiling that smug predator's smile as he rose again, his thick cock brushing over Ignis's leg as he moved. Ignis shuddered. He wanted it more than he had before Gladio had appeared.

“Stay?” Ignis asked. He cupped his hand around the back of Gladio's neck and tried to urge him down against his chest, into his arms.

Gladio descended, his mouth pressing against Ignis's. His weight eased onto Ignis until breathing was difficult. Ignis didn't care, lost in the sensation of Gladio's mouth. He could taste spice, and fire, and his own orgasm on Gladio's tongue. Gladio delved into his mouth, exploring and penetrating newly conquered territory with glee. A fresh wave of pleasure washed through Ignis. He wrapped his arms around Gladio's back.

Then Gladio drew away, leaving Ignis gasping and yearning, trying to draw him back in. Gladio's hand rested on his jaw, his thumb brushing along the crest of Ignis's cheekbone while Gladio shushed him. “Don't wait so long to call me next time.”

“I won't,” Ignis promised.

Warm lips pressed chastely against his own. The dark depths of slumber claimed him, the sensation of another body atop his and strong arms coiling around him fading into darkness.

He opened his eyes, hoping to see haunting amber ones looking back at him. Instead, daylight streamed through his curtains.

In the vase, the gladiolus buds were just beginning to open.


	3. Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignis's exhaustion is increasing, and on Gladio's third visit the daemon knows just how to make Ignis feel better...
> 
> At least for now.

The clock readout stated 8:30am. Ignis hadn't slept this late since he was thirteen and still his limbs felt like lead. His eyelids were heavy, and his bed was soft and comfortable. Sunlight streamed through the windows. A busy day that would last through to the night beckoned.

The thought that it would be easier to get up if Gladio was here erupted in his mind. The prospect of the scent of campfires and heated skin under his arms stirred Ignis's blood. It had only been a week since his last encounter with the daemon and Gladio had occupied a corner of Ignis's mind ever since. He hadn't called him. Ignis wanted their next meeting to be one where they could take their time. He wanted Gladio to stay awhile afterwards. He wanted to get to know the creature that haunted his fantasies.

Perhaps Gladio might stay if Ignis called him while he was awake, rather than on the cusp of sleep?

Ignis hesitated. The allure of amber eyes, warm hands, and a thick, throbbing cock was tempting, but could make him late for work.

“Gladio.”

The name left his lips in a whisper, and Ignis closed his eyes and awaited the pressure on his chest that told him the daemon had materialised.

It didn't come.

“Gladio?” Ignis repeated, more firmly, his eyes open.

There was no response. No smell of woodsmoke and musk, no hot hands on his skin. The air above him stayed stubbornly free of an incubus whose lips could silence Ignis's mind.

His eyes flicked to the gladiolus flower, just barely beginning to bloom. It stood proud and haughty among its wilting and shop bought brethren. If it wasn't for the flower, Ignis would doubt his sanity.

*

The apartment was dark when Ignis got home. A day that had promised to last until nine or ten had dragged on, meetings overrunning and breaking and reconvening so that when Ignis had finally left, it was nearly midnight. The streets were lit with lamps, and fresh rain had washed them clean.

Ignis's back ached. A tension headache pulled at his temples. All he wanted was to sleep.

He removed his shoes at the door, hung his coat on the hook, and made his way to his room in the dark.

“You're late.”

The voice came as Ignis flicked on the light, and froze. Gladio sat patiently on the edge of Ignis's bed. Ignis swallowed, the breath sucked from him. He'd never seen Gladio properly before. He'd been a silhouette in the darkness. Now he drank in the sight. Gladio's arms were thick and his chest and abdomen taut with beautifully rippling muscle. His cock hung between powerful thighs, long and pale with a nest of dark hair at the base that trailed up his stomach.

“I could say the same to you,” Ignis replied, forcing the air back into his lungs. His hands trembled, and he curled them into fists. Returning home to find the daemon waiting for him, as if he had been there for hours, was at once mundane and absurd. “I tried to call you this morning,” he pointed out, and realised it sounded accusing.

Gladio stood. At six feet tall, Ignis wasn't short, but Gladio rose above him, his muscular frame stretching upwards so that Ignis had to look up to meet his eyes. He forced himself to look there, instead of at the firm, sculpted body that now stood within arm's reach, beckoning him to touch. “I'm a creature of the night,” Gladio replied apologetically. “I came as soon as I could.”

Ignis's eye roved over Gladio's form. His skin was pale in the light, and his eyes looked more of a honeyed brown than the glowing amber that sent shivers through Ignis's limbs. He was somehow even more tempting than he had been in the darkness. The light lent a realness to him that a thousand drowsy encounters in the dark never could. Gladio's hair was a deep chestnut brown, swept back from his face. Shadows swayed and danced along the curves of muscle with every subtle movement.

“I'm tired,” Ignis replied softly. Temptation stood before him. His body had yearned for sleep even if now his heart yearned more fervently for Gladio. “I've been very tired, of late.” He'd been sleeping longer, and was exhausted and aching now. He knew he should dismiss Gladio and go to sleep, but the thought refused to take shape in his mind, and the words refused to come to his tongue.

The backs of Gladio's fingers brushed against Ignis's cheek. The daemon's skin caught against day old stubble with the tender gesture. “You work too hard,” Gladio replied, his voice low and rumbling. “Let me take care of you.”

“I--” Ignis began. The daemon moved closer, the heat of his body enveloping him. Fingers curled around the back of Ignis's head. Soft, full lips pressed a searing kiss to his own. Ignis closed his eyes. The heat seeped in, pouring into him from Gladio's mouth and hand, trickling through Ignis's body and dripping down his spine.

It was heaven. Ignis rested the palm of his hand over the swell of pectoral muscle at Gladio's chest and leaned in. A second hand brushed along his waist. It set itself over Ignis's spine, radiating more heat into Ignis's body, and drew him close.

Ignis surrendered. Burning desire fired along his every nerve, spreading out to his toes and fingers. He opened his mouth to the daemon's kiss and leaned in, inviting the creature to enter. Gladio's tongue licked sweetly into Ignis's mouth, pressing softly against Ignis's own tongue. The motion was soft, tasting him, filling him with want. Ignis was already achingly hard in his own pants, and when Gladio drew him closer he felt Gladio’s cock stirring to life against his abdomen.

“What do you want with me?” Ignis whispered when Gladio pulled away. He opened his eyes. Brilliant amber filled the world and looked back at him. The hand at the back of his head moved to brush his cheek instead. Gladio's predatory smile sent a pleasant shiver down Ignis's spine.

“I want to take care of you,” Gladio insisted. “Just relax.”

He peeled Ignis's glasses away. Ignis blinked as the edges of the world grew softer. He watched as Gladio stepped back, fingers working swiftly at Ignis's buttons to bare his chest and stomach. Ignis drew his arms back and allowed Gladio to slide his shirt off for him. The material hit the floor with a sigh.

Gladio's hands moved to Ignis's trousers. Ignis watched the daemon's face and his breath froze in his lungs as he found himself trapped in a fiery amber gaze. His heart thumped painfully in his chest, pounding against his ribs. Gladio's hands slid under his clothes, over his hips, and pushed his trousers down.

The urge to kiss Gladio became overwhelming. Ignis gave in to it and cupped his hand around the back of Gladio's head, drawing him in. He probed Gladio's mouth with his tongue. The air smelled of campfires and burning cedar, of musk and lust. A broad hand swept down over his buttock, squeezing the muscle possessively.

Ignis stepped out of his trousers, leaving them crumpled on the floor. Gladio moved around behind him. The heated length of Gladio's cock brushed against Ignis's buttocks, scorching his skin with the promise of more. Gladio's hands ran up Ignis's body, slowly caressing his thighs and stomach. His lips brushed the shell of Ignis's ear, and the daemon inhaled deeply, breathing him in.

“Get on the bed.”

Gladio's voice sent a shiver through Ignis. His lips brushed over Ignis's neck, and his fingers squeezed at Ignis's hips before giving him a gentle push.

Ignis clambered onto the bed, dimly aware of how ridiculous this would feel if he was with anyone but the daemon. Self consciousness tried to prick at him, but the daemon's scent and the sound of his voice kept it at bay.

“Lie down on your front.”

Ignis swallowed, and settled himself down. His cock rubbed against the sheets, a blessed but unsatisfying bit of friction. He folded his arms under his head and turned to look at Gladio. In the light the daemon was breathtaking. He was a living fantasy of height and breadth and cut muscle. Ignis's eyes locked on the cock that hung proud and erect, flushed with arousal. He felt his mouth water.

Gladio laughed. “Don't worry,” he said, following Ignis's gaze, “you'll get it.” The daemon moved, and the bed shifted as Gladio straddled him.

Ignis swallowed again and closed his eyes. He longed for large hands to grip his hips and pull him into position, ready for Gladio to fill him with the mind-numbing pleasure of his cock. Instead Gladio's hands settled gently across his shoulders. Heat suffused into Ignis's flesh before thumbs and palms dug into knotted muscle and pushed.

Ignis gasped, and Gladio shushed him. “But first you're gonna let me take care of you.”

“I didn't think—” Ignis began, and cut off as a relieved sigh escaped him. His shoulders seemed to unwind under Gladio's palms. Gladio's hands were strong, and the pressure stopped just short of being painful. It was a whole new form of breathtaking ecstasy. “--this would be in your job description,” he finished softly. Ignis's body fell slack on the bed as warmth spread through his back and down his limbs.

“I can be whatever you want me to be,” Gladio answered. His hands stroked along Ignis's biceps, trailing heat that lingered after them. “Right now this is what you need.”

Ignis closed his eyes. Gladio's hands worked over his back, sending sparks along his spine. Ignis felt as if he was melting. His muscles and his limbs were becoming as pliant as his will under Gladio's touch. “Is that so?” he asked. His mind grew clouded with a heady fog of desire, and the scent of Gladio's skin.

Gladio worked up Ignis's back, starting from his hips in broad strokes. He rumbled wordlessly, like a big cat purring with satisfaction. “It's working, isn't it?”

Hot lips seared the nape of Ignis's neck. A fresh burst of arousal flooded through him. The beautiful ache in his groin became unbearable. “Gladio,” he pleaded, his breath shaking.

Gladio answered with a lusty groan, his cheek pressing against Ignis's ear. “Say that name again.”

Hands gripped carefully at the soft insides of Ignis's thighs and spread him apart. One stroked up, squeezing his ass appreciatively. The other slipped down, stroking over Ignis's balls and gripping his cock. The contact was like electricity amidst a fire, shooting along the length of Ignis's cock and reaching deep inside him.

“Gladio,” Ignis repeated desperately.

He heard Gladio inhale with gratification, and then the head of his cock pressed against Ignis's ass, sliding smoothly inside him. There was no pain, no waiting while his body accustomed itself to the intrusion. It was as if Gladio were sliding home, filling a void within Ignis that rejoiced at his return. Ignis gripped the sheets in both hands as pleasure poured into his body, pooling in every crevice and extremity as the daemon entered him.

“You feel so good,” Gladio told him. Ignis's skin prickled at the praise. Gladio's hands gripped Ignis's hips, adjusting his position. The head of Ignis's cock rubbed against the bedsheets. His nerves were alight all over with the dizzying relief of finally having Gladio inside him.

“So do you,” Ignis replied. Gladio entering him had taken him to the precipice of orgasm. The hands at his hips burned. Gladio's cock was impossibly long, hot, and heavy inside him. The fullness was bliss.

Ecstasy swelled inside Ignis as Gladio thrust into him. His cock drove deeper into Ignis's body with every movement. Ignis began to cry out in pleasure and strangled the noise, biting his lip. His arms and legs were useless, heavy and uncoordinated in his rapture as Gladio filled him over and over.

“Don't hold back,” Gladio said. Ignis couldn't tell if it was an instruction or a request. Gladio's hand stroked along Ignis's spine and gripped the back of his neck. Ignis's body tensed up and shivered as pleasure peaked inside him and somehow continued to build.

He lost his self control and cried Gladio's name. His body was awash with the swell of impending orgasm. The daemon's cock filled his entire being. Ignis thought he could die like this.

“ _Gladio_!” Ignis cried. His heart pounded, his skin was slick with sweat. The sheets stuck to his arms and chest. Ignis could barely breathe.

Gladio thrust into him harder and faster. Ignis came apart as orgasm tore through him at last. Limbs that had locked up collapsed, his skin set aflame. His insides burned as Gladio came buried deep inside him. Ignis no longer had the breath to scream.

Gladio gave a few final, lazy thrusts inside him, sending a few final twitches of pleasure along Ignis's nerves. His body throbbed. His pulse thundered in his ears.

“You did good,” Gladio told him. Ignis tried to open his eyes as hot lips pressed a tender kiss to his cheek. Even breathing seemed to take gargantuan effort.

“Don't go?” he pleaded, his voice barely audible even to himself.

Gladio brushed the hair off Ignis's forehead, combing the sweat soaked strands back. “I can't stay,” he answered.

Did Ignis imagine the apology in the words? “Just a little while?” Ignis begged, his voice a breathless whisper. He wanted to reach out to Gladio but was too exhausted to move.

Gladio dragged a soft, thin blanket up Ignis's legs and tucked it around his chest. “I'll stay until you're asleep.”

“Thank you.”

Ignis watched the muscles of Gladio's legs flex as he walked to the light switch. His vision was hazy through his barely open eyes, but Gladio was still beautiful. The room was plunged into darkness. Ignis could just make out the glowing embers of Gladio's eyes as he came closer. A warm hand settled between his shoulders, and the mattress dipped as Gladio sat on the edge of it.

Ignis thought he felt lips on his forehead just before he drifted off to sleep.


	4. Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignis grows ever more tired, but his longing for Gladio outpaces even that.

Gladio had played on Ignis's mind all day. The warmth of his skin had lingered at the edge of Ignis's imagination, and he'd found his feet taking him into a perfumier, where the scent of vetiver and amber had called to him. It had cost more than Ignis's usual choice, but the heady, smoky cologne had been irresistible.

Every time he closed his eyes he could smell Gladio. Ignis was no longer sure if that was a blessing or a curse. He felt exhausted all the time, and coffee did nothing for the dark circles that grew under his eyes. He spent his every waking moment longing for night to fall, and then it became a battle to convince himself to stop thinking of the daemon and sleep.

A warm hand stroked slowly up Ignis's thigh, caressing his skin and flooding Ignis with warmth. Ignis opened his eyes, straining to focus in the darkness of his room. Gladio's face resolved from the shadows as his weight settled on top of Ignis, pushing him down into the bed.

“I thought you couldn't come unless I called you?” Ignis asked, reaching up to find Gladio's shoulders and draw him down against his chest in a lover's embrace despite his words.

Gladio settled onto him slowly, his hard cock nestling promisingly against the inside of Ignis's thigh. “You were calling me,” he answered. Ignis saw teeth in his smile, and felt muscles bunch under his hands as Gladio settled his elbows at either side of Ignis's shoulders. The mattress sank. “You've been calling me all day.”

“I didn't say your name,” Ignis pointed out. Gladio's firm abdomen brushed teasingly against the length of Ignis's cock. Ignis's hips rolled upwards automatically, chasing the stimulation.

Gladio leaned down, until his breath gusted in Ignis's ear and sent a shiver down his spine. The daemon's voice was a low rumble. “I can hear your every thought and fantasy, Ignis, you don't need to say them aloud.”

It was better than coffee. For the first time since the last time Gladio had visited him, Ignis felt like he was actually awake. His hands followed the smooth curve of Gladio's spine down to the firm muscle of his backside. Gladio's ass flexed in response, his hips rolling down into Ignis's, dragging Gladio's cock against the sensitive skin of Ignis's thigh as if it was an offer.

“What about your fantasies?” Ignis asked, looking up into supernaturally bright amber eyes.

They blinked. “I don't have fantasies,” Gladio answered.

Ignis stroked his hands back up Gladio's sides, feeling the ripple of muscle over his ribs. “Maybe you should,” he said. “What if my fantasy was fulfilling yours?” Ignis felt the daemon looking at him, his eyes searching for something in Ignis's face. Gladio didn't seem to have an answer for that.

Ignis gave him a smile, and brought his hands back, settling them against Gladio's shoulders. “Every time you've visited me,” he explained, “it's been you pleasing me.” He gave a push, urging Gladio onto his side. Gladio lifted slightly at the pressure, still looking lost at this turn of events. “I want to return the favour.”

Gladio's weight disappeared as he rolled obediently, confusion still obvious in his furrowed brow. “Ignis--” he began.

Ignis pushed him onto his back and swung his weight so that he was the one pinning Gladio into the bed. “I may not be as good at it as you,” he said, silencing the protest, “but I'll do my best.”

Gladio's eyes were wide, looking up at Ignis from the pillow. Ignis gave him a smile and leaned down, placing a slow, tender kiss to Gladio's lips. Heated hands settled tentatively at Ignis's waist. Gladio seemed completely thrown by the change in role. His mouth opened under Ignis's, and Ignis pressed in sweetly, his tongue dipping in to explore the heat of Gladio's mouth in a gently insistent kiss.

Gladio's ever-present erection brushed against Ignis's thigh. Ignis himself was already achingly hard, but something about this being the first time anyone had sought to please Gladio made Ignis's heart ache. Had Ignis been just another person for Gladio to serve? Summoned by Ignis's lust, had Gladio thought his own pleasure was secondary?

Gladio's hands tightened around Ignis's waist in response. He knew what was in Ignis's head, Ignis remembered, so he pressed down a little more insistently and let the confusing tangle of desire and care that had been growing inside him come to the fore. Gladio was a night-time sanctuary for him, the embodiment of heat and pleasure, but a place of peace, too. When he was with Gladio nothing else mattered, and Ignis wanted to give Gladio his undivided attention.

Gladio pulled back from their kiss, drawing breath in a gasp. Ignis smiled, victorious, and descended to plant his lips against Gladio's throat. He wondered if he'd feel a pulse, or did the daemon lack one? The bristles of a close cropped, perfectly maintained beard scraped against Ignis's lips.

He moved lower, pressing kisses to Gladio's clavicle. Gladio's chest heaved with every breath, and his hands settled at the back of Ignis's neck and shoulder. “You don't have to do this,” Gladio said.

Ignis ran the tip of his tongue down Gladio's abdomen, stopping to plant another kiss at his navel. “You don't have to let me,” he countered, and resumed his travels.

Gladio's thighs spread invitingly under Ignis's hands. His cock stood proudly from a base of dark curls, its tempting heat palpable. Ignis brushed his hands along the inside of Gladio's thighs, marvelling at the warmth and delicacy of his skin.

Gladio's palm settled against Ignis's cheek. Ignis looked up to find Gladio staring at him in stunned wonder. The expression reminded Ignis of the way he'd felt the first time Gladio had touched him like this, amazement and rapture silencing his mind. He smiled and grasped Gladio's cock in both his hands and stroked up its full, intimidating length.

He'd had this inside him, he reminded himself, circling one thumb around the head and feeling the slit at the top. His hands were on fire, an addictive, tingling heat spreading through his fingers and down past his wrists. Ignis set his hands around the base of Gladio's cock, and bent down to press his tongue to the tip.

Gladio tasted like heaven. He was salty and hot on Ignis's tongue, and Ignis closed his eyes and let the scent of musk and smoking cedar envelop his senses as he descended. Gladio's cock slid into his mouth smoothly, the hot flesh brushing against his lips.

Fingers curled at the back of Ignis's head. Gladio let out a long groan. “ _Iggy_.”

The nickname coiled in Ignis's chest and settled into his heart, amplifying the delightful ache in his own groin. He realised he'd never heard Gladio sound pleasured before. The added familiarity of a nickname made his skin prick all over.

He sucked gently at Gladio's cock, wanting to hear him say that name again in just that way. His cock was hot on Ignis's tongue, and Ignis let it slide to the back of his mouth, until it touched his throat. He wanted to take it further, to take Gladio all the way in until his nose was buried in the musk and hair at the base, but that risked choking and spoiling it.

“You won't,” Gladio said, his voice clouded with a haze of desire. “I won't let you get hurt.”

Ignis drew back, until he was sucking at the head of Gladio's cock. He played the tip of his tongue into the slit, tasting the strangely spicy saltiness of Gladio's precum. Gladio's cock was heavy and solid on his tongue, filling his mouth perfectly. He released his hands from around the base of Gladio's shaft and let his fingers stroke down to cup the tight weight of Gladio's balls, and caress the tender softness of his inner thigh.

Gladio spread his legs further. His hand was a persistent presence at the back of Ignis's head, never pushing, just resting, feeling Ignis's movements. His fingertips scraped gently through Ignis's hair and against his scalp as Ignis sank down on him again. This time he chose to trust Gladio and continued on when his cock touched the back of his throat.

He fit easily. Despite the thickness and length, Ignis's throat opened up to him readily. It felt wonderful to have Gladio inside, knowing how this would feel for him. Gladio's fingers tightened for a moment in his hair, and the world fell away until there was only Gladio. Ignis brought a hand between his own legs, gripping his aching cock as he breathed through his nose, coarse hairs brushing the tip. The rich scent of woodsmoke and ecstasy clouded his senses.

Gladio's voice filled his ears as Ignis sucked, working up and down his length at a luxurious pace. There weren't words, just sounds of passion and need. Ignis stroked himself in time with his sucking, his whole body responding to every urgent noise from Gladio in waves of building pleasure. Gladio's cock was hot and thick in his mouth, filling his throat, but it was never too much, and each time Ignis swallowed him to the hilt he felt his own cock throb in his hand.

He wanted this to last forever. Sucking Gladio off was such a simple, beautiful act, and knowing no one had done it for him before sent ripples down Ignis's spine.

“Iggy,” Gladio repeated, breathless and urgent. Ignis wanted to hear him say that as he came down his throat. He wanted to swallow Gladio's orgasm and drag himself over the precipice with him.

“Fuck, Iggy,” Gladio answered. Ignis looked up at him as his lips reached the head of Gladio's cock once more. Gladio's eyes were fixed on his face, entranced. Ignis sank back down deliberately slowly, maintaining the eye contact for as long as he could, only closing his eyes as he swallowed the last couple of inches.

Gladio's hips twitched warningly, but didn't thrust. His fingers flexed and grasped at Ignis's hair, but didn't pull. Ignis responded by sucking harder, and faster. The slick, wet sound of his mouth sliding along Gladio's cock filled the room, drowned out only by Gladio's gasps and groans.

“That's it,” Gladio praised, “that's it, Iggy.” He sounded breathless, teetering on the edge of orgasm. Ignis switched from gently massaging his balls to gripping his cock once more and stroked as he sucked.

Gladio's final cry of, “ _Iggy_!” came as a breathless yelp. Ignis felt him come, tasted the salt and spice of his orgasm, and took Gladio deep into his throat one final time as he swallowed. Gladio's hips lifted to meet his mouth, his fingertips digging into Ignis's scalp.

Ignis stroked himself faster as he swallowed Gladio's orgasm. The coiled tension in his groin unwound in response to Gladio's pleasure, firing through Ignis's hips and splashing against his fingers as he came too.

He stroked himself through the last ebbs of it, and rose back off Gladio's cock as Gladio settled back onto the bed. “That was,” Gladio began, and then gave up.

Ignis smiled and wiped his hand on the sheets. He could still taste Gladio in his mouth, that curious, inhuman flavour that was strangely pleasant lingering on his tongue and in the back of his throat. “Enjoyable?” he offered.

Gladio smiled up at him. There was something soft in his amber eyes, and he tugged Ignis upwards to his chest. “It's always enjoyable,” he answered, “but that was something else.”

Ignis smiled back, allowing Gladio to draw him into his arms and tug him against his broad chest. “Good,” he answered. Gladio's arms folded around his back. Ignis was sure the daemon could feel his heart pounding in his chest. “Will you stay?” he asked.

Gladio's lips parted. Something like regret crossed his features and was quickly chased away by a warm smile. “Until you're asleep,” he agreed, “I can't stay longer.”

Ignis considered asking why, but he knew that Gladio could probably feel that question in his heart, and still no answer seemed forthcoming. Instead he settled in to the heat of Gladio's chest, a delighted thrill travelling up his spine as Gladio tangled their legs together. “I suppose that'll have to suffice,” he said, quietly.

Gladio's nose buried in his hair, and his chest rose and then fell under Ignis in a heavy sigh. His arms tightened over Ignis's back, fingers toying idly with the soft strands of hair at the nape of his neck. “Will you do something for me?” he asked.

“Of course,” Ignis replied, setting his cheek against Gladio's chest and tucking his arms around Gladio's sides.

“Take some time off,” Gladio said, softly, “get some of your strength back before you call me again. I know how tired you've been. Don't wear yourself out.”

Ignis chuckled into Gladio's chest, but the sincerity was touching. “I'll miss you,” he replied.

“That doesn't matter,” Gladio answered, seriously. “Just do it, please? Promise you won't call me again until you're stronger.”

Something about the way Gladio spoke, as if this was more important that Ignis might realise, sent a warning thrill through Ignis's limbs. He bit his lip, wondering if he should ask, and then pushed that thought away. “All right,” he said. “I promise.”

Gladio sighed under him again. His hands brushed affectionately along Ignis's back. “Thank you.”


	5. Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gladiolus blooms further, and Ignis doesn't want to admit to himself what it means.

Three flowers now bloomed on the gladiolus. Another two buds were beginning to open. Ignis had given up replacing the bouquet he'd kept around it, so now it stood alone, a supernatural gift from his night-time lover.

It was beautiful, and its golden blossoms reminded Ignis of Gladio’s eyes, but Gladio's sincere urgency after their last encounter had set off warning bells in Ignis's mind that sounded whenever he looked at the vase. He'd been so tired since Gladio's visits had begun, and the flower that had appeared after their first meeting only blossomed after Gladio came to him. Otherwise it remained frozen in time, its flowers refusing to open further, nor did they wither and die.

Ignis didn't want to admit to what he knew, deep down. It wasn't difficult to surmise that Gladio's visits, the blooming flower, and his increasing weariness were related. He'd overslept his alarm for the first time in his life the morning after his last night with Gladio, leaving him rushing to dress and get to work. In the end, he'd been in such a rush that he'd neglected to bring a lunch.

A sense that he was disappointing Gladio had swept in once he'd realised, and Ignis had vowed to do better. He wanted to fulfil his promise to the daemon and get stronger before they met again, and perhaps then he'd be ready to hear from Gladio himself what this infatuation was costing him.

Ignis went to bed earlier, got up earlier, made himself eat even when he was busy, but still the tiredness lingered. The dark circles around his eyes didn't fade. His limbs felt like lead when he woke in the morning. No matter what Ignis ate, or drank, or how much he slept, the exhaustion never abated. Instead he became very good at hiding it. A smudge of concealer beneath his eyes dealt with the shadows, extra caffeine kept him going on for another hour when he was to collapse. He spent his next day off asleep, only rousing from the bed to eat and bathe.

The weariness seemed set in his bones, but the ache in his limbs was outpaced by the ache in his chest when he counted how long it had been since he'd last called for Gladio. He missed the daemon, his familiar eyes in the darkness, and the tender caress of his hands. He missed Gladio's arms around him, and the soft fluttering of the air as the daemon breathed and Ignis fell asleep in his presence.

He sat on his bed in the dark, working to convince himself that he could get through another night without Gladio's voice, and Gladio's touch. It wasn't working. The more he thought of him, the more he yearned for him, and Ignis found himself thinking that surely he'd rested as much as he could?

Muscular arms folded around his chest and waist. The bed sank slowly deeper as new weight settled onto it behind Ignis, and a warm, broad chest pressed against Ignis's back. Lips pressed to Ignis's bare shoulder, and Gladio's legs rested on either side of Ignis's own.

Ignis gave a quiet laugh of defeat and relaxed into Gladio's arms. “I'm sorry. I tried to resist,” Ignis told him.

“I know,” Gladio replied, setting another kiss to Ignis's neck. Ignis brought his hands up to Gladio's arms, stroking over them tenderly. Then he moved them over the back of Gladio’s hands, and Gladio spread his fingers. Ignis took the unspoken invitation, slotting his fingers between Gladio's and curling them under Gladio's hands. Gladio closed his fingers over Ignis’s and squeezed gently. “I could feel you.”

“Were you keeping tabs on me?” Ignis asked.

Gladio drew Ignis's arms tighter around his own chest, pulling him firmly into his body. “When I could,” Gladio confirmed. The hair ruffled at the side of Ignis's head, and Gladio's nose tucked in to his hair as he breathed. “I just hope it was enough.”

“Would you have come if it wasn't?”

Lips brushed against Ignis's ear. When Gladio answered, there was a note of regret in his voice. “I have to,” he answered. “It's what I am, and I missed you so much.”

The words seemed to ripple along Ignis's skin, raising the hairs. He released Gladio's hands to turn in his arms and find his face. Ignis's palm brushed over a warm, stubbled cheek, turning it towards his mouth so he could reach for a kiss. “I missed you too,” he breathed against Gladio's lips before sealing the words there with his own. Gladio cradled him as they kissed, and then he leaned back, pulling Ignis on top of him.

Ignis twisted further in Gladio's arms, slotting their bodies together. They fit so beautifully. Gladio's erection was pinned between Ignis's hip and Gladio's stomach, and Ignis's own stirred with the heat and presence of Gladio under him. Hands stroked through Ignis's hair and cupped the back of his neck. Gladio's tongue dipped into Ignis's mouth in slow movements, as if their kiss was a waltz they both wanted to last.

Ignis drew back and opened his eyes. Gladio looked up at him with a soft smile. Something danced in the firelight of his gaze that made Ignis's skin prick. He wanted this moment to last forever, and for the last thing he knew to be the searing heat of Gladio's kiss, and the electrifying sensation of being looked at with this desire.

Gladio brushed his knuckles over Ignis's cheekbone. His smile faded, and the fingers of his other hand traced down Ignis's ribs. Ignis frowned. Those warning bells clattered in the back of his mind again. Gladio knew his every wish, and perhaps that was a curse as well as a blessing.

He leaned in again to capture Gladio's mouth with his own and chase the pain away from his expression. Ignis let himself get lost in the tender touches of Gladio's tongue, and the soft brush of warm skin against his legs as they tangled together. He focused on the distinctive heat of Gladio's cock pressing against his skin, and the heated fingers trailing down his back.

Gladio pulled his mouth away, arching his head back into the pillows. “You're getting too good at this, Iggy,” he rumbled, dazed and dreamlike.

“I'm just taking whatever advantages I can get,” Ignis replied. He moved down, pressing kisses to Gladio's exposed throat. Gladio's fingers curled against his back and tightened in his hair. “I wish I could make you feel even half of what you make me feel,” Ignis added, his voice muffled against Gladio's neck.

“You do,” Gladio answered. He spread his hand flat across Ignis's spine. “I feel everything you feel.” Heat poured in from Gladio's fingers, swelling through Ignis's groin and limbs, filling him with arousal. “And then I reflect it back.”

Every hair on Ignis's body stood on end. Whatever Gladio was doing to him was almost too much to bear. The scent of smoke and cedar invaded his lungs and clouded his head, and his nerves were alight with desire.

As quickly as it had swept through him it faded, ebbing like the tide until what lingered was heady and pleasant. “One might consider that cheating,” Ignis pointed out, his heart hammering.

“Just taking whatever advantages I can get,” Gladio replied. His tone was light, and his smile was wicked and promising in the darkness. Fire and mischief lit his eyes. It was a good look on him.

Ignis cupped Gladio's cheek, tracing the outline of that smile with his thumb. “I can't magically amplify the feeling of everything I do to you,” he countered.

“No,” Gladio agreed, mirroring the action of Ignis's hand with his own and fixing him with a penetrating gaze, “but with what goes through your mind, you don't need to.” Gladio leaned up, devouring Ignis in another lingering kiss, and Ignis closed his eyes and relaxed into it, combing his fingers through the smoky locks of Gladio's hair that splayed out like a halo on the pillow around him.

A hot hand wandered down Ignis's spine and smoothed over his ass, squeezing the muscle appreciatively. Ignis rolled his hips, dragging his cock along Gladio's firm stomach. Gladio's erection was a spike of heat at his hip. He could still remember the taste of it, and the delicious weight of Gladio's cock on his tongue. He'd been so easy to take in, and the sounds of his pleasure had stayed with Ignis through the lonely nights since.

Gladio rumbled approvingly into Ignis's mouth. His hand caressed the outer curve of Ignis's thigh, and the fingers of his other hand scratched gently at Ignis's scalp. Ignis smiled as he broke their kiss once more but remained close enough for Gladio's breath to brush against his lips. “Have you ever been taken before?”

A thrill of arousal coursed from Gladio's hand, down Ignis's spine and into his groin. Ignis found those amber eyes fixed on him, as wide as they'd been last time. “No,” Gladio answered.

“But you want it?” Ignis asked. The anticipation flowing into him from Gladio was unmistakable.

Gladio spread his legs, his knees bending until he had Ignis encased between his thighs. Gladio smiled back at him, a hint of self consciousness in the lopsided curve of his lips. “If it's you,” he confessed, quietly. Something strange and delicate fluttered around Ignis's heart, and his throat tightened. He stroked Gladio's hair again, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips.

Gladio's body was delightfully firm under Ignis's hands as he moved down. His thighs were muscular and hot, fixing around Ignis's hips as he repositioned himself. Ignis set his hand under Gladio's back, guiding Gladio to lift his hips. His cock stood firm, long and tantalising between his legs. Ignis's own was nothing like as beautiful, or thick. He hoped he wouldn't be a disappointment.

Gladio's hand rested firmly against Ignis's cheek. “You won't,” he said, looking deep into Ignis's eyes. “You won't hurt me either, so don't hold back.”

Ignis pressed forward to kiss him. His cock slid between the muscled cheeks of Gladio's ass, rubbing against him as Ignis took his mouth once more. Gladio groaned contentedly, his tongue meeting Ignis's. Gladio's hot cock was trapped between their bodies and it dragged along Ignis's stomach as Gladio brought his knees higher, almost to his shoulders. Gentle fingers gripped Ignis's cock as Gladio set him to the right place.

Ignis broke the kiss and looked into the darkened amber of Gladio's eyes. “Take me,” Gladio told him.

Ignis curled the fingers of his other hand at the back of Gladio's head, and watched his expression as he pushed his hips forward. He let Gladio guide him. At first Gladio's body gave him token resistance, but then it opened up to him and enveloped him in soft heat that spread through his whole groin. Gladio's mouth opened as Ignis entered him, his eyes falling closed, and then his head tilted back, baring his throat. The hand that had been guiding Ignis's cock moved to his hip and tugged, drawing Ignis closer, and deeper inside.  
Ignis's head fell against Gladio's shoulder. He moved his hips slowly forward, until his whole body was pressed against Gladio. Then he released a shuddering breath. Gladio was nothing but heat and inviting softness inside. The fire that lit his eyes and flowed under his skin swallowed Ignis, seeping through his body. Nothing had ever felt this good.

“Iggy,” Gladio breathed the name in wonderment.

Ignis held Gladio a little more tightly. “You feel divine,” he murmured, fighting for control of his thoughts.

“Diabolical,” Gladio corrected. Somehow Ignis found the breath to utter a laugh and he buried his face against Gladio's throat to breathe in smoking cedar and musk. Gladio's legs locked around his back. The small movement sent shocks of pleasure through Ignis's entire body. “I've never felt anything like this before,” Gladio murmured.

Ignis planted a nipping kiss to the side of Gladio's throat, brushing his lips over the skin. “Me either,” he agreed. “You're incredible.”

“No,” Gladio answered, “that's all you.” His arms folded around Ignis's back, holding him irresistibly close. “Go on,” he murmured, “I'm ready.”

Ignis bit his lip. He wasn't sure he was. He feared that if he moved he'd spill himself inside Gladio now and it would be over much too fast. Gladio's hands stroked soothingly at his ribs and shoulders in response, reassuring him. A steady warmth spread out from Gladio's hands and coiled around Ignis's heart, gentler than the overpowering heat of ecstasy that crept through the rest of his body.

Ignis kissed Gladio's shoulder and wrapped his arms around him, mirroring Gladio's embrace in turn, and then drew his hips back. Diabolical pleasure raced through Ignis's groin, flooding his hips as he moved. He thrust back into Gladio's wondrous heat, driving his cock into the soft intimacy of Gladio's body. A shiver erupted up his spine and snatched at his breath.

Gladio's fingers curled into the hair at the back of his head. The cry of pleasure he gave was low but reverberated around the room and rumbled through Ignis's chest, clearing his mind of any thoughts. Every inch of Gladio around him felt amazing, addictive. Ignis thrust into him over and over, his body trembling with the overwhelming need to be deep inside Gladio. He wanted to drown in this sensation, to bury himself to the hilt in Gladio's body and stay there.

Gladio cried out with every thrust of Ignis's hips. His name became an unfinished prayer on the daemon's lips. Gladio's firm cock trailed against Ignis's stomach with every movement. Ignis's skin felt overheated, slick with sweat. His heart thundered in his ears.

Gladio's legs dragged Ignis back inside every time he drew back. Lips pressed breathless, open mouthed kisses against Ignis's cheek. Gladio's fingers clawed at Ignis's back, carving lines of sweet pain across his shoulders. The bed rocked to the tune of Gladio's cries and the rhythmic meeting of their flesh.

“ _Iggy_ ,” Gladio cried out, arching his head back into the pillows hard enough to make his body rise from the bed.

Ignis was engulfed in the inferno of Gladio's pleasure. The scent of woodsmoke and musk was amplified in the sweat beading on Gladio's skin, and Ignis breathed it in. He wanted to feel Gladio come, he wanted to be inside him and feel him come apart in his arms as his body rocked with orgasm.

Gladio's hand traced down Ignis's sweat slickened arm to find Ignis's hand. Ignis felt it trembling as Gladio laced their fingers together. Heat flowed through Ignis's hand, spreading up into his body. His nerves fired with the pleasure wracking through him. Every thrust of his hips into Gladio washed over him until he was drowning in it.  
Gladio arched under him, yelling unintelligibly. A shockwave spread through Ignis's cock, bursting and rippling over and through every inch of his body as Gladio came and dragged Ignis with him. Ignis couldn't breathe, there was nothing but heat and pleasure as every fibre of his being tensed and pulsed with orgasm.

It faded and rose again, waves of pleasure coursing through him like the beating of his heart. Slowly Ignis collapsed against Gladio, taking in the scent of cedar and sex in great gasps of air. Gladio's legs slipped from Ignis's back and tangled around his thighs.

It seemed to take an age for the firing of his nerves to fade enough for him to move. Ignis pulled his cock free of Gladio's body and collapsed back into Gladio's arms. Their skin was uncomfortably sticky, but it didn't matter. Ignis didn't want to let Gladio go, or to be let go. His chest heaved under Ignis, just as breathless as Ignis himself.  
“Are you all right?” Gladio asked, after a few blissful minutes filled with desperate attempts to regain their breath.

“Wonderful,” Ignis answered, his face still buried against Gladio's throat. He was exhausted, and fought to stay awake. If he fell asleep Gladio would leave, and Ignis wasn't prepared to let him go again. “You?”

A hand smoothed shakily over his sweat soaked hair. “You're the first person I've ever had inside me,” Gladio said, softly. “You're the only person I'm ever going to have inside me.”

Ignis gave an exhausted huff of laughter. “Now you have a fantasy of your own.”

“I'd already found one,” Gladio answered, softly. His hand curled around the back of Ignis's head, and a stubbled cheek rested against Ignis's temple.

Now it was over Ignis felt an aching despair threatening to set in. Gladio would have to leave soon, and Ignis would wake up alone once more. He was coming to loathe their departures. “Tell me?” he asked, adjusting his position so he could listen to the steady thump of Gladio's heart, and wondered why he'd never heard it before.

Gladio stroked his hair again. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you,” he answered.

Ignis smiled softly against Gladio's chest. “Then we have the same fantasy.”

Gladio's arms came up and circled around Ignis, holding him tight. “But only you can have your wish,” he whispered.

Ignis felt a dull pain flow through him, along with fear. He knew where this conversation was going. He'd known since before he'd called Gladio again, but now it came to having it, he was no longer sure he wanted to know. The unspoken truth lingered in the air between them. Ignis squeezed his eyes shut as he shaped the words around it. “Being with you is killing me, isn't it?”

Gladio's chest heaved, and the sound of him swallowing echoed through Ignis's ears. He felt Gladio shift, the mattress creaking as Gladio looked towards his sill, and the lone gladiolus that stood in its vase. “The first time I came you were given a countdown,” he said. “The only way to stop it is to stop calling me.”

Ignis bit his lip and pressed his ear directly over Gladio's heart. The repetitive thud was reassuring. “I don't want to do that,” he admitted.

A hand settled against Ignis's cheek, and Ignis turned to look as Gladio urged his face up. Those amber eyes were clouded with misery. “Ignis, please.” Ignis didn't think he'd ever heard his name said with such pained sincerity. “I have to live an eternity without you either way. At least if I know you're alive it'll be bearable.”

Exhaustion weighed heavy in Ignis's limbs, but he made himself lean up onto his arms so he could look down at Gladio. “How is living the rest of my life without ever seeing you again supposed to be bearable?” he demanded.

Gladio's thumb stroked his cheek. “You'll forget about me,” he answered, “and fall in love with someone mortal, I promise.”

Ignis inhaled through his nose, steadying the swell of fear and pain that threatened to rise up his throat. Falling in love with someone mortal seemed impossible now he'd known Gladio. “I'm already in love,” Ignis told him. “I don't want to forget you.”

Gladio closed his eyes, his lips tightening in a frown. “Try?” he asked, when he opened his eyes again. “I don't want to be the reason you die.”

Ignis tried to hold on to his stubbornness, resolved not to give Gladio up. His chest ached with the effort of it. “What happens to you?” he asked. “If I stop calling you, where do you go?”

Gladio offered him a wan smile. “Don't worry about me,” he answered. “I'm a daemon, I haven't been good enough to earn death. I'll just be shadows in the moonlight until someone else calls for me.” He brushed Ignis's cheek with his thumb again, the tender action smearing a tear away against Ignis's skin. “At least that way I can watch you be happy. So please, try, for me?”

Ignis swallowed. He wanted to say no, but how could he? He'd be asking Gladio to endure the very thing he refused to consider. The idea of spending the rest of his life without Gladio sounded like hell, but Gladio was facing forever. It would be unfair of him to demand Gladio bear it.

Ignis closed his eyes and tilted his head into Gladio's hand. “I'll try,” he answered, and wished he didn't mean it.

Relief clouded Gladio's voice. “Thank you,” he said.

“Will you stay?” Ignis pleaded, his eyes still closed. If this would be their last night he wanted every second that he could get, even if it was only until he fell asleep.

Gladio tugged him down again, towards his chest. Ignis settled there slowly, resting his cheek against Gladio's shoulder. “I'll stay until the sun's rising,” Gladio promised.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Firstly, I want to thank Sauronix for betaing the literal crap out of this whole story for me, and helping me stay on track with it. This story wouldn't be as good as it is, and I wouldn't have come as far in my writing style as I have without your help.
> 
> Secondly, I want to thank Recipeh for Success for the truly stunning artwork she did for this. You can find it [here on twitter](https://twitter.com/spicyrecipehs/status/1157813509054521349). Please do go and give her a like and let her know how amazing she is.
> 
> And thirdly, thank you to everyone that's been reading, commenting, and tweeting your reactions to me. They've kept me very entertained. <3


	6. Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Goodbyes

For the first time in his life, Ignis called in sick to work. It hadn't been an easy decision to make, but his limbs ached, and every time he tried to stand his vision turned fuzzy around the edges and the world swam. When clarity returned the room was painfully bright and Ignis was left with a thumping headache.

There was only one flower left to bloom on the gladiolus, its golden yellow petals curled in a tight bud and peeking dangerously from beyond their green casing. The rest were in full flower, drinking in the sunlight that fell through the curtains. The sight of the supernatural countdown nearing its end sent an uncomfortable cold through his stomach. There was no way he'd survive another encounter with Gladio.

He slept the morning away, rising again in the early afternoon to make himself eat and drink. He didn't feel much better for the activity, but some painkillers helped ease the ache of his body even if food and caffeine didn't alleviate the tiredness.

Ignis had to sit down to shower, and fell asleep until late evening wrapped in nothing but a towel. When he woke he was still exhausted beyond all reason and returned to his bed after eating again. As an afterthought, Ignis brought a bottle of water to his bedside, and forced himself to drink another before he succumbed once more.

Moonlight poured into the room the next time Ignis opened his eyes. Instinctively he thought of Gladio, and the shadows he'd said he'd be within. “This isn't you,” Ignis said, to the empty room, hoping Gladio was listening, and that he'd believe Ignis when Ignis didn't himself. “I'm just sick.”

To prove his point, Ignis drank half the second bottle of water before he rolled back over to go to sleep again. His longing for Gladio made his chest ache. Ignis's skin felt cold, and the bed lonely without firm arms wrapped around him, holding him securely. The memory of Gladio's heat at his back and his lips at his ear made it easier to fall asleep. Ignis wasn't sure when memory became fantasy, and fantasy became dream. The sensations became more real. Two fingers pressed against his forehead, lingering for a moment and then brushing his hair tenderly aside.

Ignis opened his eyes, expecting to see two amber eyes in the darkness.

The room was empty. Shadows pooled across the sheets as clouds covered the moon. Ignis closed his eyes again and set his hand inside the deepest shadow, wishing for another, warm hand to clasp around his.

It was mid-morning when Ignis awoke again, and immediately finished off the bottle of water. His eyes flicked warily to the gladiolus. His heart sank a little to see that the one threatening bud hadn't unfurled any further.

*

The pain of missing Gladio was a dull, persistent ache in Ignis's heart. He'd tried talking to him at night, alleviating the gaping loneliness by telling the shadows in his room that he was doing better, and that he missed Gladio dearly.

Ignis doubted he was convincing Gladio. He wasn't convincing himself. His limbs ached with a bone deep tiredness that no amount of sleep or caffeine would remedy. His head throbbed every time he stood up, his heart frantically skipped beats every time he moved. Ignis had made himself eat despite his appetite having abandoned him, and shower even though there seemed no point when he hadn't left his apartment in days.

Food was bland and uninteresting. Coffee tasted dull. The colours of the world seemed greyer. Time and again his thoughts returned to Gladio, to his eyes, and the warmth of his skin, and the lusty rumble of his voice saying Ignis's name. He missed the sight of him, and the smell of him, and the feel of his body under Ignis's hands.

More than anything, Ignis wanted to fall asleep beside him again, even if that meant never waking up.

Seeing Gladio one more time would mean his death, but life in this state was meaningless. What would be the point in living if he was too tired to work, or go outside, or enjoy a meal? Gladio wanted him to live, but how much of his life had Ignis already surrendered? Might it be another fifty or sixty years living as this shell of himself? How long would it take for him to regain enough strength to bear it? How much longer did he truly have now, anyway?

Was it worth it to continue eking out this existence, and denying himself the only thing that meant anything?

“Don't.”

The word was a plea in Ignis's ear, so subtle that it could have been his imagination. “I'm sorry,” he whispered back, reaching out into the shadows. “I can't do this any longer.”

He thought of Gladio's eyes, and Gladio's voice, the softness of his hair under his hands, and the warm reassuring weight over his limbs. His fingers tangled in silky strands. Pressure descended on him slowly, crushing the breath from his lungs by careful degrees.

Arms curled around Ignis's back, pulling him from the bed and against Gladio's chest. Gladio's face buried against his throat. “Why?” his voice was thick and choked. Something hot dripped onto Ignis's shoulder.

Ignis clung to Gladio, his heart aching with Gladio's grief. “I'm going to die anyway,” he answered, quietly. “At least like this, I get to do it happy, and in your arms.” He didn't want to hurt him, but nor could he live like this.

Gladio's fingers dug in to Ignis's back, holding him securely, like a precious item about to be torn from him. “I don't want you to die.”

Ignis smiled, faintly. “I'm mortal. It's inevitable.” He combed his fingers through Gladio's hair. “I'm sorry,” Ignis repeated, pressing his palm to Gladio's cheek. A tear ran over the back of Ignis's hand as Gladio met his gaze. The roaring fire in Gladio’s eyes had dulled to dying embers. His full lips were cast in a deep frown. Ignis pressed a kiss to them anyway, breathing in familiar smoking cedar, with a hint of salt.

“I want you to take everything I have left,” he whispered. The tip of his nose touched Gladio's. Gladio's eyes were rimmed with despair. “Please.”

Gladio closed his eyes, sniffing before he gave a defeated, “All right.”

Ignis relaxed into Gladio's arms, his body going slack as Gladio pressed his lips to Ignis's mouth and swallowed his senses in a kiss. All the aching exhaustion melted away, evaporating like water as Ignis was bathed in the heat of Gladio's body. His tongue slid into Ignis's mouth, stroking over Ignis's tongue with tender slowness.

Ignis sighed through his nose in contentment. This was where he belonged, here in Gladio's arms, having his fears silenced by his touch. Nothing else mattered but Gladio's heat and his scent.

Gladio laid Ignis back onto the bed with care, setting him amongst the pillows as if he might break. Ignis let his fingers slip from Gladio's hair to trace down his jaw, over the stiff bristles of a short clipped beard. “I love you,” he breathed.

Gladio turned his cheek in Ignis's palm until his lips pressed against the centre of it. They burned so hot it was almost painful, searing the mark of Gladio's lips against his skin. Ignis didn't want to pull his hand away. Heat spread through his hand and swirled down his arm, flooding into the rest of his body and setting his insides alight. Every nerve seemed to come alive in turn. Ignis became suspended in the gulf between searing pleasure and overwhelming desire. His heart hammered an erratic tattoo in his chest.

Gladio slipped inside him. Ignis's body offered no resistance, welcoming the intrusion like a part of himself was returning. The confusing sensations spread across Ignis's body resolved into pure pleasure, like a shifting kaleidoscope coming suddenly into focus. Ignis cried out as Gladio sank deeper inside him, their bodies sliding together perfectly.

Gladio's hand came to rest around Ignis's throat, his thumb sitting just over his pulse point. His eyes were lit brightly in the moonstreaked darkness. Ignis curled his fingers into Gladio's hair, arching back into the bed. Gladio's heat suffused his entire body, and his lips descended onto Ignis's throat and trailed up to his jaw. “You can let go,” he murmured, his voice rumbling, “I've got you now.”

Ignis let out a shaky breath. Gladio filled him, his heat and presence making Ignis's body throb with pleasure. He let himself relax, giving his self control over to Gladio by degrees. His thundering heart and sweating skin left him lightheaded, and disconnected. The only thing that was real, the only thing that mattered, was Gladio over him, and in him.

“Good,” Gladio praised softly. He pressed a kiss to Ignis's cheek, and then he moved, his hips drawing back. Electricity raced up Ignis's spine, through his cock, and down his limbs. When Gladio slid home again the pleasure crested, almost peaking, and Ignis cried out helplessly. Being with Gladio had always transported Ignis to new heights, to the point that words failed him and all he had left was the throb of his heart and the delirious ecstasy of Gladio's touch. Now it was amplified, magnified a thousandfold as Gladio poured all those sensations back into him over and over.

Ignis coiled his arms around Gladio's back, clinging to him as he thrust inside. Every stroke of Gladio's cock inside him was its own orgasm, crashing through Ignis's body in hammering waves. His fingers dragged at Gladio's skin, muscles flexing under his hands as Gladio drove his hips into Ignis, filling him over and over.

“Gladio!” The name left Ignis's lips in a desperate sob. “I--”

Gladio shushed him. His thumb brushed over Ignis's lips, and was replaced with a deep kiss. Ignis's mouth was as thoroughly filled as the rest of his body, Gladio's tongue delving in and finding Ignis's, tempting it into a dance.

Ignis couldn't keep up. The room spun around them, the strength rushing out of Ignis as Gladio took him. His hands and legs trembled. Keeping them locked around Gladio's body became impossible. Ignis's entire body pulsed with Gladio's thrusts inside him. Cresting pleasure built until it was too much to bear, and Ignis yearned for Gladio to release him into it. He couldn't breathe. The thunder of his heart in his ears drowned out the sound of their bodies colliding.

“A little longer,” Gladio whispered, as breathless as Ignis felt. His body was superheated against Ignis's, his skin slick with sweat. Gladio's every movement made Ignis feel as if he was coming apart at the seams, falling to pieces in Gladio's arms. He wanted that so much, for Gladio's pleasure to tear through him and take them together one last time, burning him up.

Gladio's weight pressed him more firmly into the bed. His hand found Ignis's useless, trembling fingers, clasping it tightly. He dragged Ignis closer to him, until their sweat soaked skin stuck wherever they touched. Ignis no longer had the breath to cry out, each gasp felt desperately insufficient. His heart's constant, racing thump stuttered in his ears.

He wanted to tell Gladio he loved him one last time.

Gladio's body stiffened as he came inside Ignis. His release broke the dam holding back the tsunami of Ignis's orgasm. It was like drowning. Ignis was dragged beneath the wave, the air tearing from his lungs as his body was battered with their combined ecstasy. His every muscle twitched and throbbed, his body moving outside of his control. His back arched, his cock pulsed, his thighs trembled.

Gladio kissed him over and over, his lips brushing over Ignis's cheek and lips hurriedly. Ignis felt himself sinking into the darkness, Gladio's arms dragging him down into untold depths. Ignis couldn't breathe, his heart beat in erratic spurts, clinging to the last of its energy. Sated exhaustion swept through Ignis, and he fell into it gratefully.

“I'm sorry.” Gladio's voice was low, and distant. Fingers at Ignis's throat lingered before a palm settled over his heart. “I love you too, Ignis. I know this isn't what you asked for. Forgive me.”

Lips settled against Ignis's mouth one final time, the kiss they bestowed shaking and sweet. Something warm and wet dripped onto Ignis's cheek and ran down towards his hair. Ignis tried to reach out, but his limbs wouldn't cooperate. The darkness engulfed him.


	7. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ignis wakes up, and Gladio's gone.

_Forgive me._

The words lingered in Ignis's head as he woke up. The last echoes of a heartbreaking dream faded from his memory, the details breaking into shards so only grief and loss remained. Sunlight streamed in through the open curtains. A brief check of his phone showed one unread message, and the time as half past six Monday morning. His memory of the past couple of weeks was as hazy as the dream. He'd been unwell, he knew, he remembered calling work to tell them he'd be absent, but the days following were missing.

Ignis's morning routine was familiar, and yet strange. It felt good to shower, the warm water washing away the lingering aches of what must have been too long in bed. When he got out, wrapped in only a towel, he made a coffee. The scent of it whetted his appetite, and the first cup went down more quickly than usual.

Still, there was something missing. A sense of absence tainted the air, colouring Ignis's mood. The withered husk of a single gladiolus sat in his bedroom vase. He didn't remember when he'd got it, and it was so dried out that the petals crumbled to dust at his touch. He threw it away, an unfamiliar ache haunting his chest as he did.

The message on his phone was a get well missive from Noct. It was short and to the point, but Ignis appreciated the sentiment.

“Thank you. I'll be back today,” he typed in reply.

He was finishing off his second coffee when a response came through. If he was honest, Ignis was impressed Noct was already awake. “Great. That bodyguard you don't want is here.”

Ignis scowled at the message. He understood the need for security in his department, but personal security managers were an unnecessary intrusion. The bodyguard wasn't a bodyguard, per se, but someone that would be project managing Ignis's safety and security, from his computer systems to his routes to and from work. It was an invasion of privacy that Ignis had argued against for months.

He took heart from the fact it need only be temporary. Once all the risk assessments had been done and measures put in place he wouldn't need to deal with his security manager outside of functions and events.

The nagging feeling that Ignis had forgotten something important forced him to double and triple check he had everything before he left. He made very sure that he'd locked the door, too. The drive to work, at least, was comfortingly familiar.

People greeted Ignis as he signed in. The fact that his absence had been noted put the first smile on his face all day. He never took time off, but he also hadn't though he was an amenable enough character that many would care if he wasn't around, Noct aside. It felt nice to be wrong.

“Ignis!”

Ignis turned at the sound of his name. The acting chief of security gave him a wave as he approached. Someone Ignis didn't recognise loomed in the shadow of the dark corridor behind him. “Nyx,” he answered, with a nod.

“Good to see you back,” Nyx said, with a smile that made Ignis's toes curl. Nyx was too old for him, but he was easygoing and loyal, and the time he put in at the gym meant he filled out a pair of tight trousers nicely. Ignis wasn't above looking at an attractive man when he was in front of him. “That was a long couple of weeks without you. You must have been on death's door.”

Ignis gave Nyx a lopsided, slightly embarrassed smile. “I'll be honest,” he answered, “I don't remember much of it.”

Nyx gave an impressed whistle, but the look on his face was sympathetic. “Knew it had to be bad to keep you away. You're better now, though, right? Not overdoing it?”

Ignis bowed his head. Nyx of all people, barring perhaps Mr Caelum himself, knew how many hours Ignis put in if only because he was the one overseeing who came and went through the doors. “I'm fine,” he confirmed, brushing away the concern.

“Great,” Nyx replied, pointing a thumb over his shoulder. “This is Gladio. Your new security manager.”

The name sent a spark through Ignis's brain and down his spine. Gladio stepped forward, and Ignis turned his attention to Nyx's companion for the first time. He was tall, dwarfing Nyx and Ignis himself by several inches. His shoulders were broad, and the roll neck sweater he wore clung to his expansive chest and taut, tapered waist. The sleeves were pushed up to his elbows, and the dark shadows of some tattoo peeked out from beneath them, reaching blackened feathers down his arms.

“Hey,” Gladio said. His smile seemed to light up the dim corridor. Ignis's breath stuck in his chest. The coarse bristles of a closely trimmed beard dusted Gladio's jaw, and his eyes were a beautiful honey brown that shaded to amber.

“Hello,” Ignis said, remembering himself and holding his hand out towards Gladio. There was something familiar about him that made Ignis's heart throw itself against the inside of his ribs. He wanted to know what it felt like to be enclosed in those arms.

Gladio's hand clasped Ignis's. It was warm, and his fingers were rough even though his touch was deceptively gentle. They shook once. Ignis didn't want to pull his hand away.

“Have we met?” Ignis asked, forcing himself to let go of Gladio's hand. He knew this man, somehow. His name, his eyes, and the warmth of his hand needled at Ignis's brain. He _should_ know this man.

Gladio's smile curved into a grin. “I'm pretty new in town,” he answered. His voice was a soothing, masculine rumble that made Ignis' stomach flip. “Maybe you dreamed about me?”

Ignis tried to formulate a response, but was left with his mouth hanging open as his brain misfired uselessly. He was not one for being left speechless.

Nyx laughed. “Well, you've got time to get to know each other,” he said. “You're going to be with him for the next few days,” he added, addressing Gladio. “Get to know his routine, the way he works. Start with his office, yeah?”

“Sure thing,” Gladio answered.

“Be gentle with him, he's new,” Nyx said, turning his attention to Ignis.

Ignis recovered his thought processes enough to raise an eyebrow at Nyx. “I'm sure he can stand up for himself,” he replied. The flirting was certainly unmissable, so it wasn't as if Gladio lacked confidence.

“Yeah, just don't forget he needs breaks too,” Nyx pointed out, “and he's stuck following you.”

Ignis bit back the scowl he wanted to shoot at Nyx. “Point taken,” he conceded. It would be better for him, at any rate. He felt fine, but it wouldn't do to make himself sick again so soon after returning to work from what must have been a raging fever. Making sure he took appropriate breaks for the next few days would help.

Nyx threw Ignis a bright, amused grin. “Good. I'll leave you to it.” He turned one final time to Gladio, telling him, “I'll check on you later,” before he retreated down the corridor.

Ignis felt his eyes linger on Nyx's backside out of habit before the allure of Gladio’s rugged features dragged them away. He was immediately captured in a soft, honeyed gaze. Gladio had been looking at him. “I suppose I'd better show you to my office then,” he managed. He had to force every word from his mouth. Every time he caught sight of Gladio the silence in his brain was deafening.

“Lead the way,” Gladio answered.

Ignis turned, and made his way down the corridor to his office, trying not to be self conscious of the way he walked. Gladio's booted feet thudded on the marbled flooring, slightly out of step with the clip of Ignis's own shoes. Somehow Gladio's presence filled the back of Ignis's mind even when he couldn't see him. “Are you quite sure we haven't met before?” he asked, glancing back over his shoulder.

Gladio's smile was soft. “Like I said,” he answered, “I'm new round here. Used to work nights at my last job, so I didn't get out much during the day.”

“Perhaps not, then,” Ignis conceded. That sense of familiarity lingered regardless, tugging at some lost memory Ignis couldn't recover. Gladio's presence was reassuring, and safe. Perhaps giving off that aura was just a good trait in security personnel. “I'm afraid I'm an early bird, so this week might be difficult for you.”

“That's all right,” Gladio answered, happily, “I kinda like seeing the sun for a change.”

Ignis gave a huff of laughter at the answer and opened the door to his office. He gestured for Gladio to walk in ahead of him. “What did you do at your last job?” he asked.

Gladio's huge shoulders heaved in a shrug. “On call work, mostly,” he answered, “if people wanted something at odd hours, there I was.”

“And now you're in security,” Ignis said. It was a leap, that much was certain. He closed the door behind them as Gladio scanned his office, taking in the windows, and desk placement, and shelves of files and books.

“Bit of a change, I know,” Gladio answered. He turned to look at Ignis, and Ignis's throat dried out. Sunlight filtered through Gladio's hair and lit his eyes like fire. Shadows pooled in the lines of his chest, leading Ignis's eyes treacherously downwards. “This is my second chance,” Gladio said, “after I gave up everything to save someone important.”

Ignis swallowed. His tongue felt thick and useless, and his brain scrabbled helplessly at language in the face of Gladio's stunning masculinity. He was breathtakingly attractive. This was going to be a very tough week. “That was noble,” he said, finally, “and daring.”

“It's working out all right so far,” Gladio replied, his voice growing low and sending a shiver up Ignis's spine. He turned away, and Ignis felt himself released from Gladio's gaze. His heart began to beat again. “So, how about after work you show me your favourite restaurant? I'll pay.”

“Excuse me?” Ignis blinked, unsure of what he'd heard, and if he was interpreting it correctly. The obvious flirting was getting to him, and he was enjoying every second of it.

Gladio threw him a dangerous grin from over his shoulder. “I need to learn about you and your routine,” he pointed out, “and the city. Two birds, one stone.”

“Oh.” Ignis gathered his pride. “Actually,” he said, straightening up. If Gladio wanted to play these games, Ignis was going to fight fire with fire. “I prefer to cook, and you'll have to see my apartment sooner or later. Does tomorrow sound all right?” Ignis's heart hammered nervously. He'd only just met this man, but it didn't feel as if he had. Maybe the offer of dinner at his home was too much, too fast?

Gladio's smile rivalled the sunlight in brilliance. “It's a date.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you again to everyone that has supported, commented, kudos'd, cheered, flailed, drawn art for, cried, or generally been in touch over this fic. I've never had this sort of reaction to anything I've written before and it's been amazing. Thank you all so much for reminding me why I'm still here after all this time.


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